Full-fashioned knitted garment and method of manufacturing the same



L. SILMAN Sept. 3, 1946.

' FULL FASHIONED KNITTED GARMEMAND. METHOD, OF MKNUFACTURING THE sum Filed Oct. 26, 194 a Sh eei s-Sheet i J0 ghl' Baal Fm cr smi Kui Hing Machine. t 73' lllllllllllll L. SILMAN se t. 3, 1946. i

FULL FASHIONED KNITTED GARMENT A ND METHOD DIP MANUFACTURING THE SAME Filed Oct. 26, 1944 s Sheets-Sheet l2 (Lira/11111 w T. 6 w

INVENTOR.

lllllll llll P 3,1945- L. SILMAN 2,406,969 FULL FASHIONED KNITTED GARMENT AND METHOD OF MANUFACTURING THE SAME- Filed Oct. 26, 1944 a Sheets-Sheet s UNshamd $11apul Sedibn J15 aml 20 l l l Patented Sept. 3, 1946 OFFICE FULL-FASHIONED KNITTED GARMENT AND METHOD OF MANUFACTURING THE SAME Leon Silman, New York, N. Y. Application October 26, 1944, Serial No. 560,385

32 Claims. 1

This invention relates to full fashioned knitted garments for confining the body of the wearer, such as girdles, corsets, swim suits, underwear and the like, and the method of knitting them.

By fullfashioned garments is conventionally meant those that are shaped, to conform to the body configuration, that is suitably widened and narrowed, in the knitting operation. This is distinguished from garments made from fabrics which have been cut to shape'and theeut fabric then sewed together to form the garment" or from seamless garments the fabric of which is so knit that it will inherentlycontract more at the narrower parts thereof than at its wider parts to give them a desired shape. In this description of my invention, by way of illustration, reference will be made to its application to knitted girdles.

Full fashioned girdles have heretofore been knitted on conventional flat or straight bed machines V i With such machines, prior full fashioned or shape knitted girdles comprised two parts, a front part and a back part, each part suitably widened at its sides; the sidesjoined together, as by sewing, to provide the completed shaped girdle, which therefore had a Seam runnin through the girdle at each side,

Though recognized by the feminine world as a more desirableand superiorgarment, full fashioned girdles have not been sold in comparatively large quantities because they are relatively costly and heretofore manufacturing method did not lend themselves to mass production thereof, for example, as does the seamless girdle knit on a circular machine.

With the machines heretofore used .it was thought necessary to make full fashioned or shaped girdles from two blanks of knittedmaterial, which formed the front and back part of the girdles. Such blanks were shaped, with the upper part, from the top thereof, gradually widening from side to side toward the centre of the blank and then gradually becoming narrower at the lower part to the bottom thereof by suitably gradually lengthening the courses of yarn forming the blank and then gradually shortening them. This was done by placing in action in suitable progression needles which had been held out of action until all the needles required to knit the widest part at the centre, that is the body, of the a blank had been placed in action and then a ain taking and holding the needles out of action until the remainder of. the blank was shaped and knit.

Since with this construction of shaped girdle, each course of yarn is included as an integral 2 part of and comprises both the shaped part, that is the narrowed and widened part at each side of the blank and the intervening part of the blank, it was therefore necessary to form two blanks offmaterial joined by two side seams to form the shaped girdle, as with prior construction and method, the shaped or formed section of the garment could not be knit independently of the unshaped sections, which are positioned at the front and back of the wearer. My invention, therefore, though it proposes, in one modification, knitting the shaped girdle on suitably modified conventional fiat bed machines, contemplates, in contrast, the provision of a full fashioned or shaped girdle which is made from a single blank of knitted material, the side of which are formed by the upper and lower edges of the fabric coming off the machine and which are suitably joined together to form the girdle.

In further contra-distinction to prior full fashioned or shaped girdles, I contemplate providing a girdle forming blank, in which the shaped panels, at the sides of the garment and which provide the fashioning are completely formedin the blank knitted as a unitsection of the blank independently of, though, integral with remaining sections of the blank, thereby eliminating the two side seams of the prior girdles and substituting therefor a single seam, preferably atthe back of the garment. i In still further contra-distinction with prior full fashioned or shaped girdles, the courses of yarn comprising the fabric or material forming the full fashioned girdle, here concerned with, extend, or run in a vertical direction or longitudinally of the garment, that is from the top or upper edge to the bottom or lower edge, thereof, whereas, in prior girdles the courses of yarn extend or run in a horizontal direction or laterally of the garment, that is from side to side. This different arrangement of courses and wales provides a fabric in which 'no course of yarn com' prising the shaped or fashioned parts, the courses of which are of gradually changing length, is in cluded in, extends into or forms a part of a course of yarn comprising the unshaped or unfashioned parts of the girdle, the courses of which have a selected unchanging length throughout. Such construction, although obtained with con ventional straight or flat bed machines, results from the novel method of knitting a shaped or fashioned garment which I contemplate and'in which I gradually lengthen and shorten the courses of yarn comprising only the shapedpanels ins ead ofgradually lengthening and shortening the courses of yarn comprising the entire girdle forming blank as a single unbroken unit, as in the prior art, my girdle, therefore, comprises shaped or formed panels, having courses of yarn of suitably changing length separated by an intervening unshaped or unformed section having independently knitted courses of yarn of equal or unchanging length throughout'th'esection and in which the shaped or formed panels preferably extend into unshaped or unformed sections, which are joined to form the girdle.

In prior full fashioned or shaped girdles, the material forming them was arranged therein with the wales, that is the loops or stitches, extending or running in the same direction in which they did in the material as it came from the machine, that is, the sides and upper and lower edges of the blank, as knitted in the machine, formed the sides and the upper and lower edges of the formed garment.

In contra-distinction the fabric of. the girdle forming blank contemplated by my invention, after it. comes from the. knitting machine, is turned around ninety degrees so that its, as knitted, upper and lower edges become the free edges of the blank, extending from the shaped or formed panels, which are joined to form the girdle and the sides of the blank, as it comes from the machine, become the upper and lower edges of the girdle.

The shaped or full fashioned girdle contemplated by my invention is comparatively less costly to produce and therefore relatively inexpensive, making it available to many more users, who, for reasons of cost, have not become users of shaped or full fashioned girdles, although considered a superior and more desirable garment.

The rate of production of the shaped or full fashioned garment, here contemplated, made with conventional flat or straight bed knitting machines is considerably greater than the rate of. production of prior shaped or full fashioned garments made on the same machines.

Since, in my novel girdle forming blank, certain sections thereof comprise courses of yarn knit on all the needles of the machine, those sections may be produced as a sheath or seamless fabric on conventional circular knitting machines, having a rotating cylinder, whereas the shaped or fashioned sections 'or panels, since they comprise courses of gradually changing length, must be produced on a knitting machine having a reciprocating bed or its equivalent.

To further increase the rate of production of my girdle forming blank", in a modification thereof, I propose knitting it on a conventional circular knitting machine the cylinder of which may be rotated or oscillated, as desired, for example, of the type used in knitting seamless hosiery, such as a Scott and Williams or a Hemphill seamless hosiery'machine.

With such a machine those parts of my girdle forming blank, which comprise courses of yarn of equal or unchanging length, are knitted with the cylinder of the machine rotating, the cylinder being caused to oscillate through a complete revolution (the equivalent of reciprocating the bed of a flat or straight bed machine) upon reaching, in its production on the machine, that part of the-fabric which will form the shaped or fashioned sides of the garment. Since the cylinders at this point is oscillated, needles may be gradually placed in action and then taken out of action to suitably shape the panel.

The resulting fabric, as will be described after 4 it is knit on the circular machine, is suitably cut so that it will also form a blank, provided with two shaped panels separated by an intervening unshaped portion and each extending into another unshaped portion, the free edges of which are joined together to form the girdle.

In the resulting fabric the wales also run from one joined edge to the other joined edge, the courses of yarn running at right angles thereto. The joined fabric, when on the body of the wearer, assumes a position thereon in which the shaped panels are at the sides of the wearer, the unshaped separating portion at the front or abdomen and the unshaped joined portions at the rear or back, the wales running laterally around the garment and the courses of yarn from the top to the bottom thereof.

With my novel girdle forming blank, knit in accordance with the method of my invention, whether on a flat or straight bed or circular machine, the various sections of the blank, even though of different characteristics, are independently knit in a consecutive series of opera tions, in the process of which they are interknit to form a single integral blank.

This is in still further contra-distinction to the prior full fashioned or shaped girdle in which each section comprising the blank is knit as a continuous, unseparated and unseparable part of the other sections thereof.

Since the courses of yarn which form the shaped panels are not, in any manner, included in those courses of yarn which form the other parts of the girdle fabric, my invention is adaptable to many modifications not possible with full fashioned girdles of the prior art. For example, that part of my girdle forming blank constituting the front or rear of the full fashioned girdle may be knit with any desired design or in many suitable varieties of knit stitch other than that used for the shaped sections.

The front and rear may be knitted as tight as desired and with non-elastic yarns or :a yarn of an entirely different type than that comprising the shaped or formed side panels to thereby eliminate any necessity or desiraility of the heretofore undesirable reinforcing panels arranged at the abdomen or other girdle parts such as found in all, girdles of the prior art.

Other objects and advantages of the present invention will be further apparent from the following description and drawings relating thereto, in which Fig. 1 is a plan View of a continuous strip or length of material knit according to my invention with a modfied flat or straight bed knitting machine and constituting a plurality of girdle forming blank units.

Fig. 2 is a plan view of a girdle forming blank cut from the strip or length of material illustrated in Fig. 1.

Fig.3 is a perspective view of the blank of Fig. 2 bent about itself, prior to joining apposite edges 1 thereof to form a girdle.

Fig. 4 is a side view of a torso wearing a girdle constructed according to my invention.

Fig. 5 is a plan view of a strip or length of material knit according to my invention with a circular knitting machine and constituting a plurality of girdle forming blank units.

Fig. 6 is a schematic view of the knitted material taken on the line 6-6 of Fig. 5.

Fig. '7' is a perspective view of a seamless sheath or tube according tov the modification of my ingirdle forming blank is cut.

Fig. 8is a plan view of a girdle forming blank cut from the seamless sheath or tube of Fig. 7.-

Fig. 9 is a side View of a torso wearing a girdle formed from the blank illustrated in Fig. 8.

Fig. 10 is a schematic diagram of the needle arrangement used to knit a girdle forming blank according to my invention.

Fig. 11 is a schematic diagram of the stitch arrangement included in the girdle forming blank knit according to my invention.

Referring now to the drawings and more particularly to Figs. 1 to 4, a girdle forming blank here contemplated may be knitted on a flat bed knitting machine In, such as the type heretofore used to knit berets and which machine has a single set of needles. Such a beret knitting machine is well known in the art and therefore need not be described in detail or its elements of con struction illustrated in the drawings. It is to be understood that this conventional beret knitting machine is suitably modified to knit the strip or length of material I 2 from which a girdle forming blank I4 is made according to my invention, by providing the required larger bed, and needles of size and quantity required for the fabric gauge desired; by using a suitable set of cards to control the needles and by modifying the cams so that they will be suitable for knittingthe rubber or elastic yarn required to provide the two way stretch desired in girdles.

Full fashioned girdles are shaped in the knitting operations so that they will naturally or inherently conform to and assume the configuration of the body. This is accomplished by widening the girdle at the hips of the wearer and then slightly narrowing it, if desired, at the lower portion of the garment.

In the practice of my invention, I contemplate providing a girdle l6, preferably having a shaped section [8 and 20 of the material at each side thereof and which shaped sections are formed by knitting the courses of yarn which comprise them, as will be further described, in suitably relatively changing lengths.

vening unshaped section 32, the courses 24 of which are of substantially unchanging length. Extending from each shaped section 18 and 20, at the bank of the girdle I6, I preferably provide unshaped rear sections 34 and 36, which are joined together in any suitable manner, as by sewing the seam 38 and the courses 24 of which are of substantially unchanging length.

It will of course, be understood that this seam 38 may be formed at any other desired and suitable part of the girdle, for example, in or at the front section 32, or in or at a side section to, thereby provide a single unbroken section at the back of the girdle.

According to my invention, I contemplate knitting a continuous or unbroken strip or length of material l2, which comprises a plurality of consecutive units 4!) (Fig. 1), each of which, when the strip or length I2 is suitably. cut, constitutes a. girdle forming blank M (Fig. 2).

As illustrated in Fig. 1, the strip or length of material issues from the knitting machine ID in the direction of the arrow 42. i To facilitateunderstanding of my invention, I will now describe the manner in which the strip or length of material is knit, the description of knitting a unit 49 being detailed, it being understood that the series of operations are consecutively repeated, as long as desired, to form the selected size of continuous strip or length of material 12, from which the girdle forming pieces or blanks [4 are out.

In order to provide a mark for identifying the leading edge 44 of each unit 45!, and therefore one edge of the blank I4, I prefer to provide, in the knitting of the strip or length of material 12, prior to commencing the knitting or formation of each unit, I knit in the material, a separating yarn or yarns, preferably of different color along the line A--A extending across the width thereof.

It will be understood that the number of needles used in the machine will vary with the fineness of gauge and stitch and the type of fabric or'material desired and that I specify the use of a knitting machine having 400 needles for purposes of illustration only. It will further be understood that the relative selection of the number of needles used to fashion the shaped sections may also be varied, as desired, the number here specified being likewise for purposes of il1ustration only.

Commencing with the leading edge 44 of a unit 40, an unshaped rear section 34 is knit, the courses 24 of which are, as previously pointed out, of substantially unchanging length. This section 34 is therefore knit with the full com plement of 400 needles in the machine.

Upon reaching, in the knitting, the dividing or boundary line 45 between the shaped section !8 contiguous to the first unshaped rear section 34, eighty adjacent needles are taken out of action, on one side of the machine in any suitable manner well known in the art and which therefore need not be illustrated or described, so that a selected number of gradually shortened courses of yarn 38 are knitted.

The needles are taken out of action in a selected progressive series as schematically illustrated in Fig. 10 and which for purposes of illus tration, is in the order of first removing, at one time, from action fifty needles of the entire complement to be followed by removing the remainder of thirty needles consecutively in sets of six needles each.

Referring now particularly to Fig. 11, since the first fifty needles are held out of action, the first course 48 of the shaped segment 25, will commence (at 50) fifty loops, stitches or wales inward from one side 52 of the strip or length of material l2 and terminate at the other side 54 thereof. Each next changing in length) succeeding course will commence, since six needles are taken out of section, another six loops, stitches or wales inward from the side 52.

One or more courses of yarn, as desired, may be knitted with any selected number of needles held out of action, until the dividing or boundary line 56 between the first shaped segment 25 and the panel or gusset 22 is reached in the knitting.

Reciprocation of the bed of the machine, therefore, knits the shaped segment 26, which thereby comprises courses of yarn 3B which gradually change in length, as selected, relatively to one another. It will now be apparent that the courses of yarn 30 which comprise the shaped segment 26, form no part of and do not extend into as an integral part of the body of any course 24, comprising the unshaped rear section 34.

The last course of yarn 58 of the unshaped section 84 at the dividing or boundary line 46, is interlooped by the knitting operation with the first course of yarn of the shaped section l8 which includes both the first course 48 of the segment 26 and the first course 60 of the panel or gusset 22 to thereby provide an integrally knit fabric or material, as schematically illustrated in Fig. 11.

As stated, I prefer to provide in the center of the shaped sections l8 and 20 a panel or gusset 22, which also comprises courses 24 of relatively unchanging length, as I have in practice found that such intervening panel or gusset provides a somewhat better shaped girdle.

Therefore, in order to knit this panel or gusset 22, upon reaching, in the knitting operation, the dividing or boundary limit, the eighty needles, theretofore taken out of action, are returned to action, so that, for a selected number of courses, the fabric or material is knitted with the entire complement of 400 needles to provide courses 2% of unchanging length, extending from one side 52 of the strip or length of material I2 to the other side d thereof until the dividing or boundary line 62, between the panel or gusset 22 of the first shaped section 18 and the second segment 28 thereof is reached.

As schematically illustrated in Fig. 11, at the dividing or boundary line 56, the first course 69 of the panel or gusset is interlooped with the last course 58 of the unshaped section 34 and the last course $3 of the contiguous shaped segment, the intermediate courses B5 of the shaped segment being respectively interlooped with each other and the course 66.

In order to form the second shaped segment 28 of the first shaped section I8, which has the converse shape of the first segment 26, the knitting operations are repeated in the reverse order in which they were held out of action to knit the first segment.

At the dividing line 52, all eighty needles are taken out of action and the fabric or material knitted for the same number of courses as the corresponding part of the first segment 26 was knitted. The needles are returned to action in accordance with the same schedule, that is in groups or sets of six, until thirty needles have been returned to action and "the fabric or material correspondingly knit.

At the boundary line 62, the last course 51' of the panel or gusset is 'interlooped with the first course 69 of the shaped segment 28 and the first course H of the unshaped front section 32, the intermediate courses 13 of the segment 28 being respectively interlooped with each other and the course TI.

The remaining fifty needles are returned to action at the dividing or boundary line 66, whereat the first part of the first shaped section [8 is reached, where the center or front unshaped section 32 is then knitted with the entire complement of 400 needles until the dividing or boundary line 68 of the second contiguous shaped section is reached.

At the dividing or boundary line 66, the first course H of the unshaped section 32 is interlooped with the last course 64 of the shaped segment 28 and, the last course 6! of the panel or gusset.

At the dividing or boundary line 68, the needles are again taken out and returned to action in accordance with above set forth schedule to knit in the fabric or material the second shaped panel 20 comprising similar shaped segments 26 and 28 and intervening central panel or gusset 22. At the boundary or dividing line 10, knitting with the entire complement of 400 needles is again resumed to form the second back or rear section 36, the courses of yarn of which are also of substantially relatively unchanging length.

In order to identify the opposite or following edge 12 of the unit 40 constituting the girdle forming blank I4, I prefer at that point to knit a second separating yarn, along the line B-B, extending across the strip or length of fabric or material from one side 52 to the other side 54 thereof.

The above described schedule of knitting operations may be repeated in a continuous consecutive series of operations to provide a continuous unbroken strip or length of fabric or material comprising a plurality of succession of units, each of which constitutes a girdle forming blank.

It will now be recognized that I have provided a strip or length of material, no course of yarn comprising any shaped or unshaped section, segment, or panel of which extends into or is a part of the body of the yarn which comprises a course of any other unshaped or shaped section or of any other segment or panel; the courses of yarn running or extending across the fabric or material from one side 52 to the other side 54, substantially in the same direction as do the opposite edges 44 and 12, which, as will be seen, are joined to form the girdle.

The loops or stitches formed by the yarns extend across the fabric or material in a direction across the courses of yarn, that is, the wales formed by them extend or run from one edge 44 to the opposite edge 12.

Since the courses of yarn are knit independently of each other, that is, do not extend into an integral part of any other, the loops of yarn forming the wales in any section, segment or panel are formed only by the courses of yarn in that section, segment or panel. In other words no loop of yarn in the wales of any section is formed by a course of yarn comprising any other section, it of course being understood that, at the dividing or boundary line of a contiguous section, adjacent courses of yarn are interlooped, all as schematically illustrated in Fig. 11.

By reason of the described construction, each section is knit independently of any other section and therefore the shaped sections may be knit from elastic yarn, with a relatively loose stitch, if desired, to give them a two way stretch, whereas the unshaped front and rear sections may be knit with inelastic yarn, with a relatively tight stitch, to provide portions of the girdle that are comparatively non-stretchable to thereby give to them the sought for and desired supporting qualities and characteristics, without the necessity or provision of additional reinforcing or supporting panels, such as found in the prior art.

It will further be apparent that any unshaped section may be knit with any suitable type of knitting stitch, which may be different from that of the shaped section.

It will be understood that the ends of the shaped sections I8 and 20, adjacent the side 54, may be 1ikewise shaped, if and as desired. by re- 9. moving from and returning to action needles at the other end of the machine when knitting the corresponding shaped segments thereof.

After it is knitted, the strip or length of material I2, is cut-along the lines AA and 3-3, preferablyby removing the separating ,yarn or yarns to, form girdle forming blanks M (Fig. 2) comprising the shaped sections i8, running or extending from one side 52 to the other side 54, each of which units in knitting, may be provided with selvedges, in. any manner known in the art. t

The cut edges 44 and 12 of ablank M, as schematically illustrated in Fig. 3, are then joined together, as by sewing, at the seam 38, which in the illustration is at the back of the garment, to form the full fashioned girdle, the sides 52 and 54 of the knitted material constituting th upper and lower ends of the girdle l6.

It will now be seen that the cut fabric or material, before the opposite edges 44 and 12 of the blank 14 are joined together, is rotated ninety degrees from the position in which the knit material issued from the machine Ill.

The'girdle I6 is thereby formed, in which, as it is worn (see Fig. 4), shaped sections I8 and 20 assume a position at the sides of the wearer thereof, the unshaped front section 32 a position at the abdomen and the unshaped rear sections 34 and 36 a position at the buttocks'and back a of the wearer.

It will now be seen that, in a girdle according to my invention, the courses of yarn of the fabric run or extend longitudinally of the garment, that is from the upper to the lower end thereof, and the wales 13 run or extend around the garment, that is laterally thereof.

The girdle forming blank just described, may also be knit on a conventional circular knitting machine, the cylinder of which may be rotated or oscillated, as selected. Such knitting machines are well known in the art and the parts thereof need theretofore not be illustrated or described in detail here since they are well known, the machine 14 her contemplated being similar to the type used in knitting seamless hosiery, such as a Scott and Williams or a Hemphill seamless hosiery machinej-which it is understood are modified to knit a girdle by providing a. suitable cam arrangement, larger cylinder, suitable chain control for the cam operating mechanism to shape the girdle and a tensioning device suitable to operate an elastic or rubber yarn.

Referring now particularly to Figures to 9 of the drawings, in which, wherever possible, the same reference characters are used to indicate like elements of the embodiment of my invention heretofore discussed, a continuous and unbroken strip or length of material 16 is knitted with the machine 14 and comprises a plurality of consecutive units ll, each of which constitutes a girdle forming blank 8| (Fig. 8) and which strip or length of material, as will further be described, is uniformly interspersed with shaped sections, having openings in the fabric at the corresponding ends of the shaped sections.

In order to identify one edge 19 of the girdle forming blank 8|, I prefer toknit a separating yarn or yarns along the line A-A, in and extending around the strip or length of material.

The .unshaped first section 34, since the course of yarn 24, which comprise it are of unchanging length, is knitted by the entire complement of machineneedles. Therefore when knitting the corresponding portion 18 of the strip or length of 10 material 16, the cylinder is rotated in the conventional manner, to form the seamless tubular part.

It will be understood that when the shaped sections, that is those comprising courses of changing length, of the girdle forming blank are knitted, a single yarn feed is used, since as will be pointed out, the cylinder is then oscillated to thereby operate as the equivalent of fiat (reciprocating) bed machine. However, when knitting the unshaped sections of the girdle forming blank, that is those comprising course of unchanging length, although in actual practice I have used only one yarn feed, it will be understood that, since the cylinderis rotated, more than one feed might be used.

Upon reachingthe dividing or boundary line 48, between the first or rear unshaped section 34 and the first shaped section i8 of the blank 8|, the machine cylinder is arranged to be oscillated through a complete revolution in a manner well known in the art and which, therefore, need not be further illustrated or described.

At this position in the knitting of the continuous strip or'length 16, the portion thereof corresponding to the first shaped segment 26 is knitted in the same manner as was the shaped segment of the blank illustrated in Fig. 2 of the drawings.

As heretofore pointed out, with reference to knitting the blank 14, in order to suitably, gradually shorten the courses of yarn 30 comprising the shaped segment 26 to thereby form it, eighty needles of the entire machine complement are taken out of action in a selectedprogression, which for the circular knitting machine here contemplated, for purposes of illustration is also schematically illustrated in Fig. 10 and which needles are taken out of action in the order of first removing, fromaction, at one time, fifty needles to be followed by removing the remaining thirty needles, consecutively, in sets of six needles each.

Upon reaching the dividing or boundary line '56 of thepanel or gusset 22 of the first shaped section l8 all eighty needles are returned to action and the tubular portion 82 of the strip or length 16 corresponding thereto, is knit upon again rotating the cylinder of the machine 14 so that the courses of yarn 24, which comprise the panel or gusset are knit in unchanging lengths with the entire complement of needles.

Upon reaching the boundary or dividing line 62 between the panel or gusset 22 of the first shaped section 18 and the second shaped segment 28, in order to form that portion 84 of the strip or length of material 16 which corresponds to the second shaped segment 28 and which has the converse shape of the first segment 26, the cylinder is again oscillated and the knitting operations are repeated in the reverse order or sequence. All eighty needles are taken out of action and the fabric then knitted as it was knitted for the corresponding part of the first segment 26, that is the needles are returned to action in accordance with the same schedule, in groups or sets of six, until the thirty needles have been returned to action and the fabric or material correspondingly knit.

It will now be seen that the courses of yarn which comprise the first shaped segment portion 89 and the courses of yarn which comprise the second segment portion 84 are knit with the cylinderbeing oscillated to suitably shorten and lengthen the yarn courses comprising them,

1 1 "whereas the courses of yarn comprising the panel or gusset portion 82 are knit with the cylinder rotated to thereby provide courses of yarn of unchanging length.

At the dividing or boundary line 66 between the second segment 28 and the portion 86 of the strip or length of material corresponding to the unshaped front section 32, the remaining fifty needles are returned to action, at which point in the knitting operation, the cylinder is again rotated so that the fabric or material is again knitted with the entire complement of needles to form "courses of yarn '24 of unchanging length until the dividing line 68 between the unshaped front section 32 and the second shaped section 20 is reached.

At this point, the cylinder is again oscillated and then rotated and then oscillated with the needles taken out of and put into action in accordance with the schedule of needle operation heretofore described with reference to the portion "of the strip or length of material corresponding to the first shaped section +8 'wh'ereafter the second back unshaped section is knitted with the entire machine complement of needles and upon rotation of the cylinder.

In order to identify the position at which the strip or length of material is to be cut to define the following edge 12 of the units 11, which comprise the girdle forming blank 1, 1 provide a second separating yarn in and extending around the strip or length 16 of material along the line B- -B.

In-order to identify and define the line along which a unit '11 is to be cut to form the girdle forming blank 8|, I preferably provide running lengthwise through the strip or length 16 of material the drop stitch extending along the line -G-C.

After the strip or length of material i6 is knitted according to my invention, it is out along the lines A--A and 8-3, preferably by removing the separating yarns, to form the seamless sheath or tube unit 88, which is illustrated in 'Fig. '7.

'The unit 88 is converted into a substantially flat blank 8! by cutting it along the drop stitch line 'G"C, which provides the upper edge 90 and lower edge '92 of the blank.

Since theshaped sections arekni't with the cylinder oscillated, the courses which comprise it will not be continuous around it but will terminate at each end of the cylinder oscillation as illustrated in Fig. 6 to thereby form there the openings 94 in the strip or length 15 of material.

It will be recognized-that the fabric or material at the openings '94, found at each shaped segment, will bunch 'or belly up, since the courses of yarnar'e there gathered to narrow the fabric. In order to substantially flatten or straighten out the girdle forming blank 8 I ,the cutting line C-C is arranged to pass through the opening 94 in the strip or length so that when it is cut as heretofore described, the blank will assume a substantially fia't position.

The cut unit is turned around ninety degrees from the position in which it issued from the knitting "machine 14, the cut vline C-C, as heretofore stated, forming the upper and lower edges 92 and 9B of the girdle forming blank 8| and the cut lines AA and 3-3 forming the edges 96 and 98 (Fig. 8), which are joined together in any suitable manner, as by sewing, at the back of the garment to form'a full fashioned girdle.

'-It will now be seen that when a girdle according tothe construction and method of this lat- 12 ter described modification is worn, the shaped sections assume a position at the sides of the wearer, the front unshaped section being positioned at the abdomen and the rear sections being positioned at the back of the wearer.

It will further be seen that in this modification the courses of yarn run longitudinally of the girdle from the upper end t the lower end thereof and the wales laterally around the irdle.

It will further be seen that in this latter described modification each shaped section and each segment and panel thereof, and each unshaped section comprise courses of yarn which form no part of any course of yarn comprising any other shaped or unshaped section or panel or segment so that each is knit independently of each other, with all the resulting advantages heretofore set forth with reference to a girdle knit on a flat bed machine.

I have shown in Figures 3 and 9, the dividing lines of the shaped section and its gusset Or panel as indefinite lines, since, as will be understood, such lines will be indeterminate from the other courses of the finished garment at those parts thereof where they run or extend in the same direction.

It will be understood that I do not intend to be limited by the terms used in the description of my invention, such terms being those commonly used in the trade and being interchangeable with' each other.

As various possible embodiments might be made of the above invention, and as various changes might be made in the embodiment set forth, it is to be understood that all matter herein set forth or shown in the accompanying drawings is to be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

I claim:

1. A full fashioned girdle constructed from a unitary knitted fabric blank, having shaped panels, 'at the side of the girdle, separated by an intervening section of the fabric, the courses of yarn comprising the shaped panels knitted in the fabric so that they do not form a part of any course of yarncomprising an intervening section of the fabric.

2. A full fashioned girdle, constructed from a substantially flat blank of knitted material, opposite edges of which are joined to form the girdle, said blank of unitarily knit construction; said girdle comprising shaped panels at the sides thereof and an intervening section of material at the front thereof separating the panels, the courses of yarn comprising the shaped panels being knit as courses which are independent of and form no part of a-course of yarn comprising the intervening section.

3. A full fashioned girdle constructedfrom a unitary knit-ted fabric comprising shaped panels of fabric separated by an intervening section of fabric, the courses of yarn comprising the said panels being of gradually changing length to suitably shape the panels and extending thereacross in a direction substantially from the top to the bottom of the garment and the courses of .yarn comprising the intervening section of the fabricbeing of unchanging length and extending .thereacross in a direction from the top to the bottom of the garment, the said shaped panels and intervening section of unitarily knit construction with no course of yarn comprising the shaped panels being included as an integral part of any course of yarn comprising the intervening sec- 'tion.

4. A full fashioned girdleof unitarily' knit flat or straight bed knitting machine construction and comprising a pair of shaped panels, at the side of the girdle, widened and narrowed to suitably shape th panels by courses of suitably changing length and an intervening section, at the front of the girdle, separating the shaped panels, the knitted construction such that the courses of yarn comprising the intervening section are entirely different yarns from those comprising the shaped section, the adjacent courses of yarn at the dividing line of a contiguous panel and section beinginterlooped.

5. The girdle of'claim 4, and including a section, at the rear of the girdle joining the shaped panels, said rear section being of similarly. knit construction with respect to the courses of yarn comprising the said rear section and those comprising the thereby joined shaped panels.

6.'A full fashioned girdle constructed from a substantially fiat single piece of knit fabric having shaped side panels the courses comprising which are gradually, suitably, individually and separately lengthened and shortened-in knitting the fabric and an integrally knit intervening front section of the fabric, the courses of which are of a selected unchanging length throughout the section, the loops of yarn forming the Wales in the front section formed only by the courses comprising the front section and the loops of yarn forming the wales in the shaped side panels formed only by courses in the said side panels.

7., A one piece knit blank, for joining opposite edges thereof to form a full fashioned girdle, comprising a plurality of knit sections, adjacent courses of contiguous sections at their dividing lines being interlooped, a pair of said sections constituting courses of yarn of gradually changing length to form shaped or fashioned panels and another of said sections between said first mentioned pair of sections, said other section constituting, throughout, courses of yarn of unchanging length, said first mentioned pair of sections'andsaid other section, upon joining the blank, constituting respectively the sides and front of the thereby formed garment.

8. The method of making a substantially flat blank, constituting a single piece of knit material, opposite edges of which are to be joined to form a full fashioned girdle, which comprises the continuous steps of first knitting in a length of material an unshaped section, the courses of yarns of which are knit in relatively unchanging lengths, then knitting in the length of material from other courses of yarn a shaped section, the courses of yarn of which are knit in suitably relatively gradually changing lengths, then knitting in the length of material a second unshaped section from still other courses of yarn, the courses of yarn comprising said second unshaped section being knit in relatively unchanging lengths, then knitting in th length of material from still other courses of yarn a second shaped section, the courses of yarn or which are knit in suitably relatively gradually changing lengths, then knitting in the length of material a third unshaped section from still other courses of yarn, the courses of yarn comprising said third unshaped section being knit in relatively unchanging lengths and cutting the thus knit material along the first mentioned and along the third mentioned unshaped sections to form theopposite edges of the blank which are to be joined to form a, full fashioned girdle.

;: 9, The method of making substantially flat blank, constituting a single piece of knit mate--, rial, opposite edges of which are to be joined to form a full fashioned girdle, which comprises at least the following continuous steps of knitting in a length of material from certain courses of yarn a shaped section, the courses of which are knit into the material in relatively gradually changing lengths, then knitting in the length of material from other courses of yarn and unshaped section, the courses of which unshaped section are of relatively unchanging lengths, then knitting in the length of material from still other courses of yarn a second shaped section, the courses of which second shaped section are knit into the material in relatively gradually changing lengths and cutting the knit length of material to form the blank to include the shaped sections and the unshaped section.

10. A unitary substantially fiat blank of knitted material for joining together opposite edges thereof to form a full fashioned girdle, said blank having shaped sections ofthe material, each shaped section comprised of certain courses of yarn completely different from the courses of yarn comprising another shaped section, the courses of yarn of the shaped sections being of suitably changing length to shape the section and a section of material separating the shaped sections, said separating section comprised of other courses of yarn completely different from the courses of yarn which comprise each of the shaped sections, the adjacent courses of yarn at the dividing line of contiguous sections being interlooped.

11. A unitary blank of knitted material for joining together opposite edges of the blank to form a full fashioned girdle, said blank having shaped sections of the material, which shaped sections comprise segments, the courses of yarn of which segments are of suitably changing length and a gusset separating the segments, the courses of yarn of which gusset are of unchanging length, to thereby shape the said sections, and an unshaped section of material separating the said shaped sections of material, any segment, gusset and the unshaped section comprised of courses of yarn completely dififerent from the courses of yarn which comprise any other segment, gusset or the unshaped section, the adjacent courses of yarn at the dividing line of a contiguous segment and gusset and segment and section being interlooped.

12. A unitary blank of knitted material for joining together opposite edges of the blank to form a full fashioned gridle, said blank comprising shaped sections of material separated by an intervening section of material, the courses of yarn comprising said shaped sections knitted in suitably changing relative lengths and extending thereacross in substantially the same direction as the edges of the blank joined to form the girdle and the courses of yarn comprising the intervening section of the material being of unchanging length and extending thereacross in substantially the same direction a the edges of the blank joined to form the girdle, the material,

knit so that no course of yarn comprising a shaped section is included as a part of any course of yarn comprising the intervening section.

13. A unitary blank of knitted material having opposite edges to be joined to form a full fashioned girdle, said blank having shaped sections, the courses comprising which are knitted in suitably changing lengths to thereby shape the said sections and an intervening section of the material, the loops of yarn forming the wales in the 15 said shaped sections formed only by the courses in the said shaped sections and the loops of yarn forming the wales in the intervening section formed only by the courses of yarn in the said intervening section.

14. A unitary blank of knitted material having opposite edges to be joined to form a full fashioned girdle, said blank having shaped sections of the material separated by an intervening section of the material; said shaped sections comprising segments, the courses of which are of changing length and an intervening gusset, the courses of which are of unchanging length; the loops of yarn forming the wales of the segments, gussets and intervening section formed only the courses of yarn in the corresponding segment, gusset and intervening section.

15. A unitary blank of knitted material for forming a girdle, said blank having at least a shaped section and a contiguous unshaped section; said shaped section comprising segments, the courses of which are of changing length and a gusset intervening between the segments, the courses of which gusset are of unchanging length; the loops of yarn forming the wales of the segments, gusset and section formed only by the courses of yarn in the corresponding segment, gusset and section; the adjacent courses of yarn being interlooped.

16. The method of making a girdle forming blank, constituting a single piece of knit material, which comprises knitting the material in a consecutive series of operations in a circular kniting machine, the cylinder of which may be rotated or oscillated, as desired, to form a length of material having shaped sections, the courses of which are of suitably changing length and knit upon oscillating the cylinder and suitably putting into and taking out of action certain of the needles of the machine, and unshaped sections, the

courses of which are of unchanging length and knit upon rotating th cylinder on all the needles of the machine, then suitably cutting the thus knit length of material to form a seamless sheath thereof having shaped sections separated by unshaped sections and then again suitably cutting the sheath to form a substantially flat blank.

17. The method of making a full fashioned girdle which comprises the steps of forming a girdle forming blank according to claim 16 and then joining those opposite edges of the thus formed blank which extend substantially in the direction in which the courses of the shaped sections extend in the material.

18. A continuous strip of knitted material comprising separable units for forming from each unit a blank for joining together the opposite edges of the said blank to form a full fashioned girdle, each unit in the strip comprising shaped sections separated by an unshaped section, the courses of yarn constituting any section knit in the fabric so that they form no part of the courses of yarn constituting any other section.

19. A continuous strip of knitted material comprising separable units for forming from each unit a blank for joining together the opposite edges of the said blank to form a full fashioned girdle, each unit in the strip comprising shaped sections separated by an unshaped section, the courses of yarn constituting any section knit in the fabric so that they form no part of the courses of yarn of any other section, the courses of yarn at contiguous sections being interlooped.

20. A continuous strip of knitted material-comprising separable units for forming from each unit a blank for joining together opposite edges of the said blank to form a full fashioned girdle, the continuous strip comprising shaped sections separated by an unshaped section, the loops of yarn forming the wales in any section formed only by the courses of yarn comprising that section.

21. A continuous strip of knitted material comprisingseparable units for forming from each unit a blank for joining together opposite edges of the said blank to form a full fashioned girdle, the continuous strip comprising shaped sections separated by an unshaped section, the loops of yarn forming the Wales in any section formed only by the courses of yarn comprising that section, the courses of yarn at contiguous sections being interlooped.

22. A continuous sheath or tube of knitted material comprising separable units for forming from each unit a blank for joining together opposite edges of the said blank to form a full fashioned girdle, each unit in the sheath or tube comprising shaped sections separated by a unshaped section, the courses of yarn constituting any section forming no part of the courses of yarn constituting any other section.

23. A continuous sheath or tube of knitted material comprising separable units for forming from each unit a blank for joining together opposite edges of the said blank to form a full fashioned girdle, each unit in the sheath or tube comprising shaped sections separated by an unshaped section, the courses of yarn constituting any section forming no part of the courses of yarn constituting any, other section, the courses of yarn at contiguous sections being interlooped.

24. IA continuous sheath or tube of knitted material comprising separable units for forming from each unit a blank for joining together opposite edges of the blank to form a full fashioned girdle, the continuous sheath or tube comprising shaped sections separated by an unshaped section, the courses of yarn constituting any section forming no part of the courses of yarn constituting any other section and the courses of yarn constituting a shaped section being gathered at the ends of that shaped section.

25. A continuous sheath or tube of knitted material comprising separable units for forming from each unit a blank for joining together opposite edges of the blank to form a full fashioned girdle, the continuous sheath or tube comprising shaped sections separated by an unshaped section, the courses of yarn constituting any section forming no part of the courses of yarn constituting any other section, the courses of yarn at contiguous sections being interlooped and the courses of yarn constituting a shaped section being gathered at the ends of that section.

26. A tube-like unit for forming therefrom a full fashioned girdle forming blank, said unit comprising shaped sections, the courses of which are of varying length, said shaped sections separated by unshaped sections the courses of which are of substantially unchanged length.

2'7. A tube-like unit for forming therefrom a full fashioned girdle forming blank, said unit comprising shaped sections, the courses of which are of varying length, said shaped sections separated by unshaped sections the courses of which are of substantiall unchanging length, the courses constituting the shaped panels being knit as courses which are independent of and form no part of a course comprising an unshaped section.

28. A tube-like unit for forming therefrom a full fashioned girdle forming blank, said unit comprising shaped sections, the courses of which I are of varying length, said shaped sections separated by unshaped sections the courses of which are of substantially unchanging length, the courses constituting the shaped panels being knit as courses which are independent of and form no part of a course comprising an unshaped section, the courses at contiguous sections being interlooped.

29. A tube-like unit for forming therefrom a full fashioned girdle forming blank, said unit comprising shaped sections the courses of which are of varying length, said shaped sections separated by unshaped sections, the courses of which are of substantially unchanging length, the courses forming a shaped section being gathered at the ends of that shaped section.

30. A knitted tube-like unit for forming therefrom a full fashioned girdle forming blank, said unit comprising shaped sections separated by unshaped sections, the courses comprising the shaped section knitted in the tube-like unit so that they do not form a part of any course of yarn comprising the unshaped section.

31. A knitted tube-like unit for forming therefrom a full fashioned girdle forming blank, said unit comprising shaped sections separated by unshaped sections, the courses comprising the shaped section knitted in the tube-like unit so that they do not form a part of any course of yarn comprising the unshaped section, the courses forming the shaped sections being gathered at the ends of that section.

32. The method of making a piece of knitted material and a full fashioned garment therefrom that is narrowed and widened substantially in conformity with the shapeof the human torso on which the garment is to be worn and which method comprises at least the following continuous steps of knitting into the material courses of yarn of changing length to form a shaped section, then knitting in the material courses of yarn of unchanging length to form an unshaped section, then knitting in the material courses of yarn or changing length to form a second shaped section and cutting the material to form a blank having opposed edges and which includes the shaped and unshaped sections therebetween and securing the edges together to make the garment.

LEON SILMAN. 

